Statement by Cllr. Jerome G. Korkoya
Chairman, National Elections Commission (NEC)
On the Formal Declaration of the Opening of Campaigning for the 2017 Elections
James M. Fromayan Conference Hall
NEC Headquarters, 9th Street, Sinkor
July 30, 2017
Madam Co-chair and Members of the Board of Commissioners
Leaders of Political Parties
International Partners of the Commission
Members of the Press
My fellow Liberians
I am pleased, on behalf of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to welcome you to this very important press event for the release of the final list of candidates and for the declaration of the opening of political campaign for the 2017 Elections.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press, Chapter II, Section 2.9 (n) of the New Elections Law of Liberia authorizes the National Elections Commission (NEC) to screen all candidates for elective public office and accredit or reject the candidacy of anyone who is not qualified under this title and the guidelines laid down by the Commission. Similarly, Chapter V, Section 5.1 (b) of the Regulations and Guidelines Relating to Political Parties and Independent Candidates empowers the Commission to determine and publish the date when campaign for a given election shall begin and close. In keeping with the legal provisions cited herein, we have gathered here today to release the final list of candidates and declare political campaign for the 2017 Elections opened.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, to mark the start of the 2017 Elections, on May 9, 2017, I ordered, on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, the issuance of the Writ of Elections on the 19 Senior Elections Magistrates of the Commission to supervise the conduct of the General Elections and report on the form and manner of their conduct to the Board of Commissioners.
The issuance of the Writ of Elections was preceded by the registration of voters in the 2,080 registration centers across the country. I am pleased to report that on Friday, July 28, 2017, the Commission released the final figure of 2,183,683, from the 2017 Voter Registration Exercise.
Release of the List of Qualified Candidates
Members of the press, you are aware that nomination of candidates for the 2017 General Elections was conducted from June 19 to July 21, 2017. During this period, the Commission distributed nomination packages to 26 political parties and 103 independent candidates. Following scrutiny of the applications submitted, the Commission has qualified a total of 1,026 individuals to contest the 2017 Elections. The breakdown of qualified candidates are as follows:
Total Qualified Candidates1,026
Total Presidential Candidates 20
Independent Presidential Candidates 2
Political Party Presidential Candidates 18
Total Vice Presidential Candidates 20
Independent Vice Presidential Candidates 2
Political Party Vice Presidential Candidates 18
Total Representative Candidates 986
Total Male Candidates 863 or 84.1%
Total Female Candidates 163 or 15.9%
Total Political Party Candidates 928
Total Independent candidates 98
Please note that any candidate on this list that is currently involved in matters that remain unresolved by the Commission may be excluded from the list before the printing of ballots based on the final outcome.
Declaration of Campaign
Members of the press, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Commission I am pleased to declare the political campaign for the 2017 General and Presidential Elections open as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July 31, 2017 and will close at 11:59 midnight on Sunday, October 8, 2017. During the campaign period, candidates are allowed to carry out any or all of the following activities:
Publish or display campaign literatures, posters, flyers banners, T-shirts, caps or other promotional items designed to support their election;
Hold marches, parade, rallies or other assemblies for the purpose of soliciting voters and or promoting their candidature by way of speeches, pictures, banners, placards, or any other printed materials;
Organize campaign committees, associations and movements to support their election;
The Commission calls on parties and candidates to observe the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and to refrain from tearing down campaign materials of their opponents during the campaign. Parties and candidates are strongly urged to refrain from the use of invectives in their campaign speeches, on radio talk shows and at rallies to avoid inciting their followers and to maintain the sanctity of our elections. The Commission expects parties and candidates to conduct their campaign activities in a cordial and mature manner and to contribute to the conduct of a peaceful election.
At the same time, the Commission calls onall parties and candidates to take note of and abide by the Ministry of Justice’s regulations pertaining to the organization of rallies and marches which are usually enforced by the Liberian National Police.
The Commission also reminds political parties and candidates of their commitment to a peaceful election as enshrined in both the Ganta Agreement and the Farmington River Declaration.
Campaign Finance
Members of the press, as parties and candidates begintheir campaign activities, the Commission warns all candidates to take note of Section 7.3 of the New Elections Law of 1986 as amended in 2014, and observe the limits of campaign expenses per candidates. For ease of reference, campaign expenses shall not be incurred or authorized by a candidate and or party beyond the Liberian Dollars equivalent of the following amounts:
Presidential candidates shall not spend in excess of $2,000,000 USD(Two Million United States Dollars);
Vice Presidential Candidates, not more than $1,000,000USD (One Million United States Dollars);
Representative Candidates shall not spend more than $400,000USD (Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).
Consistent with Section 7.6 of the law referred to supra, the Commission will prescribe forms on which candidates are to report their campaign expenses.
As mentioned in our press statement for the release of the final voter registration figure, three of our partners, IFES, NDI and UNMIL have offered to support political party trainings in Campaign Finance, Candidate Party Agent Representation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism. We encourage all parties to take advantage of these training opportunities which are aimed at enhancing their capacity to adequately participate in these elections.
Accreditation of Candidate/Party Agents
The accreditation of party/candidate agents and organizations wishing to observe the 2017 Elections will commence on August 5, 2017 and end on October 5, 2017. All international organizations wishing to observe the elections may pick up accreditation forms from the Political Affairs Section at the NEC Headquarters in Monrovia while local organizations can pick up forms at the NEC Headquarters and the 19 magisterial offices across the country.
Political parties and independent candidates contesting the elections are entitled to two representatives per polling place. Parties and candidates are to submit the names of their agents at the Commission’s Headquarters during the accreditation period. Media accreditation will be coordinated by the Press Union of Liberia in collaboration with the NEC Communication Section.
Members of the Press, the NEC wishes to thank the Government of Liberia for its support to the 2017 Elections thus far. Many thanks to our international partners for their assistance to the Commission for the conduct of these elections.
We wish to also thank all political parties for the mature and orderly manner in which they have been conducting their activities so far. We are confident that with such attitude, the 2017 Elections will be a peaceful one.
As I close this statement, the Commission urges all citizens of Liberia to listen to the candidates, discuss their platforms, void of confrontation and most importantly turn out on October 10, 2017 to vote for the candidates of their choice.
Finally, the Commission wishes to encourage all candidates and their supporters to avoid any and all acts of violence and proceed with their campaign in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Thank you!
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